Thursday 6 October 2011

Former Polish PM Warns Of German Threat

Poland’s nationalist opposition leader Jarosław Kaczyński, says German Chancellor Merkel "represents the generation of German politicians who want to rebuild German imperial power. A strategic axis with Moscow is part of that and Poland can only be an obstacle to it. Our country must be made to submit in one way or another. The critical thing is that Merkel wants Poland to submit, a soft submission, perhaps, but a submission nonetheless," wrote Mr Kaczyński.


Ahead of Polish elections this Sunday, he also spoke against German investments, writing: "I can't claim to be overjoyed about German investment in western Poland. We could wake up one day and find ourselves in a smaller Poland."

In his book, Kaczynski also hints that there was something amiss in the way Merkel was elected chancellor in 2005. His allegations are vague, while still casting doubt on her legitimacy. They stirred up a storm of controversy in Poland.
He writes that he does not believe that the choice of Merkel for chancellor was “the result of a pure coincidence” and should be studied by “political scientists and historians.”
He was repeatedly asked by reporters to clarify that remark and refused — but said Merkel would understand what he meant.
On Tuesday, he lashed out at a Polish reporter who pressed him on the matter, demanding to know if he worked for a Polish or German news outlet.

Kaczynski also uses his book to recall a dinner with Merkel — before she was chosen chancellor in 2005 — where she complained about Poland’s participation in the U.S.-led war in Iraq. Germany did not participate in that military mission.
“She wanted us to have a similar position to Germany,” Kaczynski writes. “Poland was supposed to be doing just as Germany did.”
Kaczynski was prime minister from 2006-2007 and his term was marked by an aggressive stance toward Germany and Russia and a strong pro-U.S. stance.

Ahead of the presidential race of 2005, Tusk was projected to beat his main rival Lech Kaczynski, the late twin of Jaroslaw Kaczynski.
But instead he was defeated, days after it was revealed that Tusk’s grandfather had served in the Nazi German army, the Wehrmacht, during World War II.
Tusk lost the presidency but made a political comeback in 2007 when he replaced Jaroslaw Kaczynski as prime minister.

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